Xie kept trying to copy Pef's smithing during the flight, as a way to increase her strength and separate her mind from pain.
Of course, she mostly claimed this second Awakening to be a pleasant vacation, but it wasn't true.
Pain can devour people, eat them from inside out, and drive them mad. Xie has already been through that, but without the safeguards the Legion method provided for the recruits.
And now, the Legion method was nearly insufficient to assure the recruit will swiftly dissociate pain from the consciousness.
It wasn't just the pain from the Awakening, but the old pain and shame and despair.
Evil faces floated in front of Xie's eyes, naked men with lecherous smiles.
The Legion method had a fix, of course. It had a fix for anything. Xie's case wasn't that special in the multiverse.
In Xie's case, it was called an adoration imprint. A new person will become the focus of affection, allowing the recruit to experience love again, and continue fulfilling their duty as a Legion soldier.
Her eyes focused on the young hero, as he nearly exploded his copper bowl.
"Damn it. Thermodynamics are a pain! Stay hot, damn bowl..." Pef muttered loudly.
Xie smiled despite the pain. "Use embers to maintain a sympathetic link"
For a Sky rank, this young man was a novice at magic. No matter what fancy words he used for fire.
Pef eyes rose in wonder. "Thanks Xie! You're wonderful!"
Then he continued his magic attempts, ignoring her trembling heart. Damn idiot!
She took a while, then gathered her courage. "You still have to marry me, even if I grow maize. You promised."
"Sure thing, dear lady. I already like you. Imagine how much I will, once you'll be stronger than I am!" Pef exclaimed with a wide grin.
Xie smiled and relaxed, her worries set aside. "Come and rest for a while. Also, I need you to hold me, because...pain"
she lied with a kind voice.
Pef stored his toys and tied the levers, then came to hold her. The pain was far away now.
Ten days later, the airship arrived over Yellow Tear, and circled the town a few times.
The last remaining of their target, a hundred surviving Tang adepts fled, trying to hide in the forest.
Pef and Xie got to spend the afternoon pleasantly, hunting rapists and scumbags.
When they returned to the city, the airship had a hundred skulls floating under the ship.
"Okay, jumping off" Pef announced as he took the mooring rope in his hand.
His fall was too slow, and people began to suspect the truth. A Sky rank had appeared on the continent.
A minute later, Pef touched down gently in the stone square, and began to coil the rope, bringing the airship down.
He kept the ship afloat at some 6 meters above ground, and amplified his voice.
"Aboard this airship, is her Lady Xie Xi, born Xie Langyu. She is my wife, and the ruler of this city. Whatever nobles are in the town, come pay your respects, now!"
His voice reverberated for kilometers, making sure everyone alive heard it.
Minutes later, various nobles came running or via palanquins and knelt before the airship.
Pef waited half an hour, to give more nobles the chance to arrive.
"Come now Xie. Your subjects would love to see you" Pef asked in a normal tone.
As Xie began falling, Pef jumped a little to hold her hand, and slowed their descent by a thousand times.
Adding in her majestic alligator armor, the spectacle made the thousands of locals in the plaza stare with their mouths open.
"Come closer, whoever has the rank" Pef demanded at half volume.
Some 5000 people of Core rank approached and awaited for more words.
"I have exterminated the Tang sect. Also, the Disciples of Arachne. Their kind is not tolerated on my continent. From now on, everyone living on the Saint continent is a citizen of the Pef Empire. You are all subjects of my laws. Those who desire to advance in qi rank, can become Guardians, and advance a hundred times faster. Now, those of you who own large portions of land. Come, we need to talk"
A dozen people approached, while a few others hesitated.
"I can also confiscate the land and then you'll have nothing..." Pef added in a playful voice.
Two dozen more landowners ran towards their new lord.
Pef headed towards the largest stone house in the square, and one of the nobles rushed to open the gates of his mansion.
Xie remained silent, her eyes scanning the nobles with an ice-cold gaze.
The owner arranged some benches and seating, for all the guests.
Then Pef jumped lightly and floated above the assembly.
"My name is Pef Xi. Sky rank, age 17. Some of you might remember my father, Emperor Xi who visited these lands some 20 years ago."
People faces became a bit terrified and pale, as they clearly remembered.
"Now, some Tang or Disciples might have escaped. Point them to me, and they'll die. Hide them and you'll die. Simple!"
"What about our land, your highness?" a woman asked shyly.
"Ah yes. I will need all of you to write on a scroll, the surface, and what the land produces. Lady Xie will buy most of the land from you, as she enjoys a certain plant, and she wants to cultivate it. Payment will be made in copper plates, or Earth ranked armor."
The noblemen looked around in confusion and uneasiness.
Pef produced a few samples to circulate among nobles.
Wide smiles grew on their faces. Soon, leather scrolls and painting instruments were brought out and nobles wrote down whatever they claimed to own.
By the next day, half of the lands around Yellow Tear were bought by the Xi family.
Pef began constructing a thousand maize farms, hiring locals as smiths and guards, and generally spreading wealth like it was infinite.
A few dozen Disciples were turned in and executed, while their spiders added to the stock of Earth rank materials.
"Why are you insisting on growing this ugly town, husband?" Xie asked one day, while checking on the crop reports.
"It's my mother's town. Plus there's zinc nearby. And also, it's your own town, even if you hate it" Pef replied while preparing more tea for Xie.
"Any luck with your formation?"
"Hmm. I need to take a dozen concubines or something. Developing the Sky rank abilities takes too long. Maybe some love will help..." Pef grumbled while offering Xie her tea.
"Don't...not concubines. Look around for a wife. You were right, love helps. But it needs to be real love" Xie whispered back, sipping her tea with small warm sips, and cold tears.
"Small chances here. Those bastards kidnapped all the nice girls." Pef said in a sad tone.
"I know, right? Keep looking though. How long can you stay?"she wondered, knowing he only stayed for her sake.
"I kinda need to leave, in a month."
"Leave sooner then. Go to Stoneport. Go to Port Li." Xie advised him in a loving voice.
Pef scratched his cheek in deep thought. "Okay then. I'll Awaken a dozen guards for a week. Then I will leave."
'Your new wife...she is separating from pain. Don't let her Awaken more than one year. You won't like the result.'
'Got it. Sociopath personality.'
'And worse. Pain is necessary to remain human. If you reach Stoneport in two weeks, there will be a nice new wife for you.'
'Oh? Really? How nice?' Our hero wondered, very curious.
'The kind that you like the most. Strong.'
'Okay then. I can barely wait.' Pef responded, hopelessly trying to stop salivating.
A new airship took off from Yellow Tear Airport, heading towards Lacrimosa with two brand-new Guardians on board, and a ton of zinc. It was the product of the new soul smith Xie Xi, and was just a Core rank artifact.
But hey, if it can fly, then it can make profit, right?
Pef himself was almost in reach of Stoneport, with a day to spare. He flew openly now, as he feared no one.
Soon, the river Agate and the farmlands around the city became visible, and our hero peered down with high expectations.
He scanned for a nice aura, or anything of importance, but nothing yet.
On his left hand, he had four brass rings, which he kept trying to condense into storage rings, with little results.
'It's not working!' the teenager complained like...a teenager.
'Practice more. Bending gravity is not easy.' the glove responded with heavenly wisdom.
Pef sighed and continued to breathe deeply, attempting to refine more qi. But after a few circulations, the qi slowly dissipated and flew away, like water following a mountain slope.
'How do recruits advance that fast then? I feel I haven't gained a single percent.'
'Neutron stars. Make a great environment for controlling gravity.'
'Loses at those gravities must be horrific!'
'Sure, getting crushed into paste hurts a bit. But next day you're revived and can try again!' the glove explained in a cheerful voice.
Pef considered the news and wondered if perhaps learning a bit slower wasn't healthier. Give time for Practice and foundations to be laid down, and perhaps keep the recruits a bit saner.
Sure, the stories he heard about the Legion made them seem bad ass and brave beyond belief, but with some better tactics and planning, they could reduce those horrific loses a thousand times.
Losing a thousand Soldiers every day, instead of a million. Veterans will have a chance to recover and then fight again, and become elites. And some of those elites would become Sergeants...
The familiar layout of Stoneport appeared under the airship, and a few soul searches scanned the ship, proving the appearance of stronger cultivators in the town.
Pef looked down, his eyes noting the large stone docks from which the town got its name, the conical fort of the Volcanic Fire sect, constructed to resemble a small volcano, and the million of locals staring up at him.
'I think I'm famous' he mused with an inner chuckle.
'The airship would be visible for in a 5 kilometer radius...'
Pef sighed and folded the airship, beginning his slow glide towards the ground.
He tried slowing even more, attempting to balance his mass, but it wasn't possible. Not yet.
Gravity kept pulling him down, its tendrils now a bit visible to his senses, but still impossible to block.
More Nascent Souls attempted to scan him, but now it was easy to simply divert those weak souls away.
A powerful white aura erupted just below, a Spirit rank. He quickly covered himself in a water shield as that person appeared to generate intense fire qi.
A minute later, Pef landed slowly in front of a delegation, a dozen disciples wearing red robes, and this sage, wearing a veil as well.
"Good morning Stoneport!" Pef proclaimed with a bit of enhanced voice.
People stared at him in confusion.
"Should I say it louder? But then I'd be repeating myself..." Pef muttered to himself, as nobody bothered to respond.
"Sigh. It's just a kid. A moron kid too!" a woman's voice spoke beneath the veil, then she turned and walked away, while another disciple ran to her side.
Pef blinked confused way, scratching his head in embarrassment. He waved away his shield, while he checked of this Volcanis disciples.
"Are those two women okay?" Pef wondered, gesturing at the nearest disciple.
"Ah, Senior Sister Jian Fire Flower is tired from the long road. And her apprentice must tend to her..." the disciple answered with a respectful bow.
Pef walked closer, his head tilted in confusion. "What? No, the two women I saved from the Tang. They seemed barely hanging on"
The ten disciples froze then bowed to the ground, not daring to raise their faces.
'Was it something I said?' Pef asked himself while scratching his cheek.
'Keep talking. You're doing great!'
"Anyway, name's Pef Xi, the new ruler of this continent. You guys work with fire right? Ever tried melting metals? Maybe casting formations?" Pef asked while sitting down beside the kneeling disciples.
A copper bowl appeared in his hand, and he began trying to embed a formation on the bowl, again.
The nearest disciple, one with a red aura and curious eyes, rose his bald head and blinked in confusion as well, staring at the moron alchemist.
"Your eminence...while your rank is unfathomable, perhaps you can attempt blowing yourself up, away from the city?"
"Hmm? My rank is only Sky. Though I can't really fly yet. Only glide a bit. Like falling really slow" our hero complained while putting the bowl away.
The other disciples rose as well, now less terrified and more shocked by this youngster who complained about his Sky rank.
Then they sat down on their butts, since it wasn't polite to lord over a higher rank. They were Practitioners and Core, and could only dream of achieving Spirit like a few Elders had.
"Master Pef, how...how did you reach Sky rank?" a younger man asked, after gathering some courage.
"Ah. Well, about two weeks ago, I got into a fight with the Disciples of Arachne...so I killed them all. And voila! Sky rank!" Pef explained with a wide grin.
"Their spiders can kill a Spirit rank Elder!" the red aura guy exclaimed in outrage.
"They can, I guess. I was a Spirit a long time ago, when I turned 14. Ah good times. I just killed a Sky ranked Ice King Morse out at sea..." Pef reminisced, like it had happened millennia ago.
"How old are you now, honored master?" the disciple inquired politely.
"Just turned 17. But I look younger, that's why people call me a kid!" Pef explained while gesturing at his face.
"You are a kid! I mean...I'm 87, for Volcanis sake!" a young (looking) man exclaimed in outrage, then stomped away towards his fort.
His fellow disciples shook their heads, not daring to voice their outrage.
"So, Big Sister Jian eh? Is she pretty?" Pef wondered while staring at the sky.
"We don't know, since she wears a veil... I bet she must be pretty though. Fire qi is rumored to cleanse the skin and ..."
"Alright then. You have a kitchen at your fake volcano, I hope? I'm kinda hungry, so I'm going to cook. And you're invited, my new friends!" Pef proclaimed as he rose up and dusted his butt.
"It is our home...of course we are invited..." a morose disciple grumbled in his robe.
On the way to the fort, Pef delighted the disciples with stories of his (short) new life, enticing them to the exploration and wonders of defeating strong enemies and getting married, like five times. Or six.
A thousand disciples gathered to receive the famous flying alchemist, and then got to experience eating the flesh of their enemies. In this case, spider legs.
Took a whole day to cook that many spiders, but Pef didn't mind. It was Practice, and his skills got better with every new dish.
Later in the evening, the Spirit Elder returned, attracted by the divine smells and rumors of heavenly tasty food.
"Ah Sister Jian. Come, try this Earth rank spider! I cracked the shell already, so just nibble on that white meat..." Pef offered with a small bow.
She rose her veil a little and bit cautiously. Then wolfed the whole leg in minutes, forgetting about decorum or face.
It was just that good.
Pef munched on his fifth leg for today, as cooks grow by tasting the food often, everybody knows that.
"How are those women?" Pef asked a bit more serious, after cleaning the kitchen and pouring some tea.
"Badly hurt. They may never recover completely"
"Well, I exterminated those sects. Both Tang and the spider ones. Took me three months, but it was worth it"
"You have a good heart, Honored Alchemist. I heard rumors of you in Port Li...but the truth is better"
"Not a moron anymore?" Pef asked with a hopeful face.
"Oh, that wasn't in any doubt..." Sister Jian said with a small laugh, then walked away with gentle steps.
'Jian's the one, isn't she? The strongest woman here at least...'
'She is also 400 years old, and not a moron' the glove explained with a smirk.
Pef sighed and prepared to leave. Time to buy a house, and fix this town as well.
The fire in the stove became brighter and flew out, forming a holographic construct, like a man on fire.
Our hero peered in, trying to make out the face features, but it was all fire.
A thin tendril extended out, then veered away as Pef tried to grab it with his gloved hand.
'Come meet me when you're ready, young soldier. The fire awaits' a voice resounded in Pef's mind, then vanished, along with the man of fire.
Sounds resumed in the kitchen, and Pef blinked as he felt some time had passed.
'I think that was Volcanis...' Pef deduced with a spark of brilliance.
'Just a messenger. He's too busy right now'.
'Right. The war of the gods'.
'Exactly. Brilliant ploy, by the way'.
Pef slapped his face a few times, to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
Then he walked outside, nearly stumbling over a disciple standing guard.
"Master Xi, we have prepared a room for you. Please follow me"
Pef shrugged and followed, as it was quite late.
In the morning, he woke up to look in a pair of beautiful brown eyes, enveloped in a bright white aura.
Pef slapped himself again, but it wasn't a dream. The elder sister was sharing his bed.
"Did we get drunk and partied till morning?" Pef asked cogently.
"My god suggested I keep you safe and warm your body. You have our god's favor, Holy Pef" the woman spoke with reverence, opening the blanket to reveal her nude body.
Pef poked the soft airbags, making sure they were real and intact.
Then he rose his eyes and examined the woman. Her face was indeed beautiful, and her hair had red highlights, like painted with fire somehow.
"So, we're married now? Volcanis didn't say anything about that" Pef wondered while washing himself and getting dressed.
"You spoke with god? But...no wonder...the disciples. Your actions have weakened Arachne. And you fed us the spiders she so loves. For a small Sky rank to influence the war between gods..."
"Here, have a brass ring, my lady. Not yet a storage ring, but should suffice as a wedding ring" Pef said gently, ignoring her beauty for now, while placing a ring on her finger.
He wasn't one to refuse such an exceptional wife, no matter what religious drivel she believed. In time, he will indoctrinate her to his needs, but for now a bit of love will be enough.
Not yet though. They will need some time to get comfortable to one another.
"So what is your plan for today, husband?" Jian asked while admiring her ring with a slight blush.
"I will make breakfast, then start modernizing the city. Let me help you dress, beloved wife" Pef explained, while deftly dressing the woman in her disciple garb. He stared at the veil for a few seconds though.
"There's no need for that, husband. I am yours now" Jian said softly, pocketing the veil.
"Great! I hope you don't mind being my seventh wife though. Women like me, for some reason..." Pef declared while gesturing hopelessly.
"Don't kill him yet, Jian. God needs him, for whatever reason. Even morons have their use..." Senior Sister Jian Fire Flower muttered to herself, as Pef skipped happily towards the kitchen.
Pef walked around the lumber yards, examining the trees here and there, while calculating some mysterious formulas with his left hand. Behind him, Jian and Qin, the Core rank apprentice followed and observed the madman with obvious frowns.
"Senior, are you sure this boy is the one? Well, beside his great cooking..." the younger woman wondered in a whisper.
The Senior Sister poked her cheek "Do not doubt our god, Qin. He is a bit strange, but also a Sky rank at barely 17. You're 86 years old, and barely formed your Core."
"And you used to praise me, for being a hard worker and a genius. But now..." the apprentice complained and kicked a stone in a fit.
"You're doing better than I was, at your age. Took me 88 years to form my Core." Jian answered with a pat on her head.
"This boy reached Spirit rank at 14. And now..."
Jain smiled wryly "Oh, you're jealous? Is that it?"
"Well, Sister Jian is now married...and won't have time for me. My future is bleak..." Qin complained with a fake sob.
Then bumped into Pef who was spying on their whispers for some time. Our hero stepped closer and cupped the apprentice's face, peering deeply into her soul.
"Red aura helps with fire, right? Do you like men or women, sister Qin?" Pef asked bluntly.
"W-what? I'm not...I like men!" Qin stuttered while blushing fiercely.
"Got any boy friends, perhaps a lover somewhere?" he whispered while stepping really, really close.
"Ahhhh. I sometimes speak with Disciple Feng. And... I train really hard." she muttered while looking down, trying to stop tears from appearing.
"Hmmm. Husband material, this Feng guy?" Pef inquired while glancing towards Jian. His wife shrugged.
"N-never. He just helps me with chores. I will pick a strong husband. When I form my Spirit!" the apprentice said with a sob.
"I see. You will pick some 500 years old Spirit master, have a child or two, if he's still able. Then die of old age, before you see your grandchildren" Pef mused out loud, then turned away and continued marking logs and computing numbers, his actions unfathomable and mysterious.
Jian stared after her husband, and for once he didn't seem moron anymore. She couldn't imagine what rank this boy could achieve in 500 years. Emperor or even Tyrant probably. With his water magic, he will be able to summon rain or storms.
"Sister? Am I wasting my life now?" the apprentice asked in between tears.
"This was an offer, I think. You want a strong husband, right?" Jian whispered while hugging the crying girl.
"But, isn't he yours? How would it work?" the woman asked a bit confused.
"I am only his seventh wife. And you're my junior sister. It would be like summer camp, again"
The women considered the events of that camp and giggled. A dozen wet women sharing a tent while it rained outside, and they had no fire.
"Haha, it would be a bit steamy..." Qin laughed and wiped her tears.
"So, you don't like disciple Feng?"
"Nah. He's scared of spiders" the junior sister replied with a dismissive hand wave.
They both giggled again, looking at the hero who cooked spiders for a living.
"Spiders are kinda scary though..." Jian admitted with a shudder.
"They taste amazingly though. Especially if your husband cooks them"
"Hmmm. I'll ask him to cook more for me" Jian decided, licking her lips in anticipation.
Qin bit her finger, hesitating to ask.
Pef jumped and floated next to them, while rolling a scroll filed with magical symbols.
"Hungry already?" he asked looking from one woman to the other.
They both nodded helplessly.
"Ah, but I can only cook for my wives now. And I get paid in hugs" Pef demanded while opening his arms towards Jian.
The sage nodded to herself and stepped into the hug, while Qin looked in from the outside.
"Pef, be nice and invite Qin too. She isn't strong yet, but..." Jian whispered in his ear.
"Well? Do you want me or not?" Pef asked while glancing towards Qin. The younger sister bit her lip for a second, then joined the hug as well.
'Well done, Aspirant. This is the wife I told you about'
'Really? But she's just a Core...'
'In a decade she will be Sky rank. And very strong later. Fire gods are scary'
Pef jumped and landed on the airship, the women still in his arms, and then sat the new wives down, then began cooking more spiders legs.
As he offered a delicious morsel to Qin, he also placed a ring on her finger, just to make sure the woman won't change her mind.
"A brass ring! I can buy a house with this..." Qin whispered to herself, trying to approximate the value of her gift.
"You mean a large stone mansion. Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, and doesn't oxidize with air. About ten times more valuable" Pef explained while offering the next spider leg to Jian.
"You have to teach us how to smelt these metals. I bet my fire qi can help" Jian demanded while examining her own ring.
"Of course. That was my plan anyway, for the Volcanis adepts. My empire needs more smiths and your talents make metal smithing much better" Pef replied after he blew a bit over his hot meal.
Pef continued working on his scroll afterwards, planning a modern city and a paper mill.
The river would make motive forces easy, for big wheels to drive gears and pulp wood.
'I guess I'll start the glass factory in Port Li. They have plenty of sand there...' Pef mused while checking his calculations with his glove.
'As you say, Aspirant. Trade and commerce will rapidly expand your empire across the continent.'
'For some time. We lack other minerals'
'Thus more trade, with other continents'
'When I'm able to fly, you mean'
'Precisely. More Practice for now'
"So, you like the view from up here, my ladies?" Pef asked with a mischievous smile.
His new wives nodded cautiously.
"Group hug! Time to land" Pef exclaimed while holding their waists. And then they fell, much slower than normal.
"We're falling, very slowly..." Jian observed with a controlled tone.
"It is kinda exciting" Qin said with a bright grin.
"Want us to fall faster?" Pef asked curious.
"No, don't you dare..."
"Aaaaaa. I'm dying. Damn idiot!"
"Stop hitting me, not the eyes!"
"Even his ears are too hard to bite!"
"Is that a sewing needle? Why is it on fire? Don't poke me with that! Ouch!"
A minute later, Pef reached the ground with various injuries, mostly of the domestic abuse kind.
His wives kicked his burned corpse a few times, then gave up since their feet hurt.
"Damn moron. Let's head back to the fort, Qin"
"Yeah. I knew I hated men for some reason..." Qin admitted while leaning on his big sister.
The abused husband rose a minute later, his skin already healed.
He rubbed his hands, looking around, as the locals pretended they haven't seen a thing.
'Fiery women' Pef mused wisely to himself.
'Start buying land already. You had enough fun for today'
Pef nodded to himself, as he made his way to the stone square, the central place of the city, and where the nobles lived and congregated.
A month later, the first attempts at paper and ink began appearing in Stoneport, and thousands of people had well-paid jobs in the new industries.
His wives moved with him in the new stone mansion, and were slowly warming up to him. Very slowly.
Until one day, Qin leaned in and tested a kiss, which became more.
The next morning, Pef woke up smothered by two hot pillows. He poked them, but no air leaked out.
"Mou...stop poking me idiot..." a loving voice moaned.
"Right, so you don't want breakfast, Qin?"
"I do! But, I feel bad for sister Jian. You should be nicer to her"
"One must not force love, dear lady. When she's ready, she ready" Pef explained in a stoic voice.
They found Jian in the kitchen, making tea. Her face was puffy, like she had cried.
"Jian dear, a hug for breakfast?" Pef asked gently.
The sage rose slowly and offered a halfhearted hug.
Pef held her and patted her back. "What's wrong?"
"Disciple Bing killed herself. One you saved"
"And the other?" Pef asked with a sad voice.
"Won't last very long either"
Pef sighed and kept hugging his wife.
Qin joined the hug, while sobbing softly. "It isn't his fault, sister..."
"Yeah, I know it is not Pef's fault. I just wish, I could..." Jian whispered in a cold voice.
"We'll talk about it tonight. There is a way...but it hurts" Pef answered, before slipping away to make maize porridge and fried locusts.
When Pef returned home that evening, Jian wordlessly took off her clothes and joined Pef in bed, in need for comfort and closeness.
At last, their marriage had become real, joined by affection and similar goals, and not by higher orders.
"So, what can you do, my not so moron husband?" Jian asked some time later.
"The Xi method can Awaken cultivators again. Hurts for one year, then you'll be like me. I started cultivating 10 years ago."
"Very fast indeed. But if god doesn't approve?" Jian asked with some doubt.
"Oh. Who told you to become my wife? That naturally makes you a Xi. Plus it makes sense. Gaia gave me her druid, Aria.
Volcanis gave me a fire bender. The gods expect us to help them, once we become strong enough. We have maybe a thousand years to reach divinity. And, we don't want Arachne to win this war, do we?" the hero asked rhetorically.
"Damn. Of course, now it makes sense. I think you may be right husband. I will be able to help god directly, punching that Arachne bitch with my own fists" The Spirit rank sage realized as she considered the implications.
"Good night Jian. Say hi to god, from me" Pef muttered as he drifted to sleep.
Jian sighed and drew some fire essence qi, descending into communion with the god of fire.
She will ask, of course. But she expected her husband was right. Pef was not always a moron.
Just, sometimes. Often. Daily.
For another month, the new family lived a careless life, while the business grew and Pef finished training another set of Guardians from the local nobles who had the white aura.
Two dozen Guardians, and only at Practitioner levels. About three hundreds normal guards were recruited for patrols, a third of them rotating to safeguard the Xi mills and smiths.
"Guardians, you are already close to forming your Core, decades before you normally would have. Your screams of pain were heard by the heavens, and rewarded with strong bodies and more qi. But you cannot stop here. Practice skills, practice flying and cooking, practice capturing criminals. Also, get married already. When I come back next year, I will notice which of you is not married. You hear me?" Pef yelled at his new Guardians, about 80 percent of them males.
The women blushed and looked around for a husband. The men grinned with confidence.
"Also, we are allied with the Volcanic Fire disciples. Help them if they need help, ask them if you need help. Keep the trade flowing, and if you see evil, stop it. Keep learning the new letters and numbers, and train hard. I expect all of you to reach Core rank in one year. Now back to your posts!" Pef proclaimed to the classroom, then turned away and left, not looking back.
Behind him, the Guardians stood proud, but worried. They had to keep the town safe, just by themselves.
Such was the way of the Legion, always too weak for the task. But they didn't know that, yet.
"You think it's possible? One year to form my Core?" one man asked in a bit of a daze.
"Master Xi is only 17! You're 68 years old, damn lazy bastard. So, what wife you have in mind?"
"Ha, you know those two sisters from the Gian family?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
"What, both of them?"
"Master Xi married those two Volcanic sisters, right?"
"Right, excellent idea brother. Once I master melting copper, I shall take three wives!"
"Enough, you idiots! Go patrol your sectors already..." an older Guardian chided them.
Pef looked around the city, scanning for any hostiles. For 10 kilometers the perimeter was clear, only petty thieves and such.
He opened his arms and waited for Jian and Qin to hug him.
Then he jumped, landing in the airship's cradle.
"Okay ladies. Time to visit Lacrimosa City" he said with a smile. It was time to reunite with his family, and build an empire.
Three people made flying a lot easier, and more pleasant. They told stories and jokes, cooked and slept all while the airship kept flying.
The Spirit ranked airship also had larger wings, making travel a bit faster.
In less than a month, they crossed half the continent and reached Lacrimosa.
A flying woman greeted them as the airship flew over the town. A wind mage with a Sky rank armor.
"Aunt Zian?" Pef yelled at her.
"Yes. You've been gone for a long time, son-in-law. We have much to talk" she spoke softly, using the air to transmit her voice with ease.
Pef hugged his wives and folded the airship, falling slow towards the ground.
Sage Zian circled them once then descended, her qi nearly exhausted.
"So, mother-in-law?" Qin wondered with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes. We never met before"
"Oh. This talk will be fun. I can hardly wait"
"I can fall faster, if you're in a hurry..."
"Don't you dare!" Jian yelled in a bit of panic.
"Okay, just joking."
Mia ran and jumped towards Pef, intercepting him in midair. Sadly, Pef wasn't ready and lost his balance, falling into a heap with three women on top.
"Don't worry, that's how I met the boy too. He fell from the sky" Chief Quing explained to his wife, smiling wryly.
"Dear gods, he's a Sky rank already. Although a stupid one"
"Can you fly with three women dragging you down?" her husband asked rhetorically.
"Eh. Not yet. I would need this Xi method." she whispered with a wink.
Pef finally extracted himself from the pile, and looked around with a smile.
"Hey boss. Caught yourself a wife, did you?"
"Yes I did. So what did you kill now?" the Earth ranked Chief asked curious.
Pef scratched his head in embarrassment "Eh. The Tang sect and the Disciples of Arachne. They had a Sky rank spider"
"Good job...wait! Those sects had like, thousands of members..."
"Yep, and a thousand Earth ranked spiders. It took some work" our hero readily agreed.
"And these lovely ladies? More wives?" Quing asked rhetorically.
"Precisely. So where are the rest, Smithtown?"
"Precisely. And you're a lousy son-in-law. No grandchildren!" Chief Quing yelled while poking Pef's groin.
"Owwww... I'll try harder" Pef muttered, in a bit of pain.
"You do that!" the Guardian exclaimed with another poke.
Mia came and hugged Pef then kissed him for a long minute. People stared but the couple didn't care.
"I'm close, my husband. Another month and I can draw my Spirit" she whispered in his ear.
"What did you kill?" he asked curious.
"I fought fourteen Nascent beasts. Killed five" Mia declared proudly.
'Sounds about right. More love now, and she'll form her Spirit' the glove commented as well.
"Aunt Zian, you know what my method does, right?" Pef asked softly as he offered his new relative a hug.
"Give me 6 weeks. My husband can take care of me"
"There you go. Starts in 4 hours. Get ready mom-in-law" Pef told the wind mage, then turned around as he sensed a golden aura.
"Aunt Ching!" he exclaimed, running to hug his oracle.
"Hmpf. Sky rank already. Now I can't trash you anymore..." Ching sighed after failing to push him away.
"So, you keep watch over the town?" Pef whispered in her hair, while hugging her tightly.
"Until you call me to war. A decade maybe?" The oracle said a bit uncertain.
"Dear lady, you know you'll need love to cross into Sky. Find a husband, okay?" Pef told her gently.
"You know I'm an oracle, right? I know who will be my husband" she said with a kind smile.
"Great! I wish you happiness then. Now, please excuse me. I need to start cooking." Pef said carelessly, jumping lightly over to the barbecue corner.
His wives gathered around him, demanding various meals.
Lia Ching sighed, knowing it was inevitable. Not soon, but one day.
The boy was too young for her, but in a decade he will be a man. She had seen that future.
A few hours later, Zian left with Quing, heading inside the house to endure her Awakening.
Pef headed to his own home, and spent the night exploring his marriage.
And Oracle Ching drew her Sky rank sword, and softly dispensed justice in the city, butchering rapists and murderers, just like every night.
A few times she even reached the victims in time, and saved them. Her skills were slowly getting better, and Practice was practice.
The Legion method called its users to fight evil, and they did. However, they could.
Pef would be amazed to know his kind Aunt Ching had killed many worse people than he did.
The huge capital of the continent, with millions of people and unlit streets, wasn't a civilized place just because a thousand Guardians of low ranks patrolled the streets.
Even though she had forgotten her past, the Lady of Justice had the instincts and intuition of a tier 7 Captain.
And with the Legion method stirring old memories, Aunt Ching grew stronger every day.
Next day, Pef and his wives departed Lacrimosa for Smithtown, which was only hours away.
Two dozen airships were flying the skies above the town, and thousands of carts and work beasts traveled the roads.
The town had doubled in size, and smoke from smiths and fires filled the air.
"So, that's your goal for Stoneport as well, husband?" Jian muttered while waving through the smoke.
Pef nodded in agreement. "Producing goods, yes. Pollution is hard to avoid though. At least for a few centuries"
As the airship descended for landing, Pef noticed a few familiar auras below.
He threw down the rope, and smiled and Lin rapidly dragged the airship, with her impressive strength.
At some 50 meters though, she stopped and tied the rope to the heavy rock anchorage.
"Mia and Jian you jump first. I'll float down with Qin" Pef said while hugging the weakest wife.
Seeing as Mia jumped down fearlessly, Jian jumped as well, her pride stronger than fear.
Pef floated gently, making Lin smile in amazement.
"You maniac! Sky rank already?" the soul smith exclaimed as Pef descended in her arms.
"Killed a few bad people. It happens..." Pef explained with a shrug, making Qin cough in outrage.
"Hmpf. And got married again. I will not babysit for a hundred wives, you idiot!" Lin grumbled and punched Pef in the nose, but in a friendly manner. Then she rubbed her knuckles in surprise.
"Owwww. Your face is too hard!"
"Right. I need to see Aria..."
"Yes you do. She cries too much"
"Jian, Qin meet Lin. She's lovely and very nice" Pef said carelessly then ran away.
Lin stared after her young husband. "He better had brought me some bones, or he sleeps outside"
Jian blinked at the moron smith, who deserved her sad fate. "He killed a thousand Earth ranked spiders..."
"Nice. I knew I picked the right husband!" she declared proudly, making the other wives facepalm and sigh.
"So, you know Pef pretty well, right?" Jian asked with some hidden purpose.
"Of course. Poor boy came here some 5 years ago, barely a Nascent rank. He was smart though, and already had an airship.
Had to wait a few years to marry him, as his bits were too small"
"That's...not what I meant, esteemed sister. Oh well, let's hope the other wives are more normal" the fire sage muttered in disbelief.
Mia laughed and shook her head in amusement. She couldn't wait till they met Aria.
After a few seconds, she realized she also had to wait for Pef to grow a little. Her cheeks grew a bit red, and she hid her face in her palms. Did this mean she wasn't normal?
They found Pef getting frisky with Si in the kitchen, and stared for a few minutes.
Especially the Volcanic disciples, who rarely saw such displays.
"Husband, they look adorable! This red-headed woman in particular..." Si exclaimed as she came to paw over Jian's fiery strands.
Jian endured stoically as Si measured her, the seamstress rudely squeezing and hugging without a care. Then she continued with Qin and Mia, sharing a smile.
"Don't mind Si. She loves making clothes. And you'll love wearing them" Pef explained after a long and embarrassing hour.
He had already prepared a few snacks, and served his wives with a grin.
Then he turned and left, carrying two spider legs with him towards the basement.
"So, I'm wife number 8." Qin broke the weird silence.
"Oh. There's a missing wife then!" Lin exclaimed in a bit of panic, looking around.
"Xie is in Yellow Tear. Pef rescued her from a breeding pen" Mia explained with a sad grimace.
The women shivered and hugged each other for comfort.
"I hope she'll be fine. Our junior disciple Bing was also rescued, but she killed herself after" Jian disclosed with a shudder.
Meanwhile, Pef entered the cellar, now a bit hot since the ice had melted.
Aria and Di were lounging in thin shifts, holding each other hand.
"Great view, makes me hungry!" Pef said in a playful voice.
"Hey hubby. This method really hurts!" Aria growled a little. Di nodded but stayed silent.
"Okay, let me kiss and feed you then. And rejoice. Two more wives are joining you in here!" Pef declared then kissed both women deeply.
Then he fed them the delicious spider meat, in tiny bits easy to chew.
An hour later, he lined a wall with ice again, making the temperature comfortable.
He stayed a few more hours, holding both ladies at his chest, and caressing their heads.
"Ummm. I want everyday like this. I wouldn't mind the pain then..." Di spoke after she failed to a few times.
"I will stay here a month. But not all the time. You're both ten times my age, at least."
"Pef, you feel stronger..." Aria mused after a while.
"Yes. Sky rank. The method is very good. Just hurts a little"
"Come back tomorrow Pef. I hate you right now." Aria muttered while tears drowned her face.
Our hero left, after kissing the tears away. Such was the Legion way. Pain before strength. And death after.
As Pef emerged from the painful abyss, Lin and Si held their hands out.
Pef blinked in confusion.
"Wedding rings" Mia explained with a smile.
Pef had to provide three more brass rings to level the field between jealous wives.
"So, zinc and copper, right?" Lin asked with a smile.
"Yep. Much stronger"
"What else?"
"This sapphire..." Pef said with a grin, producing a pillow sized sapphire. Only much heavier.
The women's eyes glinted with sparkles.
"This material looks strong enough to anchor a storage formation" Lin mused as she poked and prodded the boulder.
'Why didn't you tell me?'
'Failure teaches more. Plus you're still not strong enough. Yet' the glove explained with a smirk in its voice.
Pef spent his next month in his alchemy lab, struggling to create a storage ring, and the printing press. Not a simple metal plate, but mobile letters.
Brass was very useful for that, although his experiments with inks were not yet successful.
Still, after a month of constant failures, he managed to produce a small paper book, bound in leather. It contained the constitution of the Empire and its first written laws.
Nothing very complicated, but a few thousand of years more advanced than this planet has seen so far.
Jian and Qin had joined the other wives in the cellar, enduring their awakening with tears and suffering.
Pef visited them twice a day, bringing divine meals and a kind word. Then he ran away, before he started crying as well. Like this morning.
"Our method sucks. Well, the painful part, I mean..." Mia grumbled as Pef came out of the cellar wiping his tears.
Pef cupped her face, and kissed her gently. "I think today. I'll take the day off, and help you reach Spirit, beloved wife."
Mia's eyes opened wide, perhaps not expecting this. "I wonder what magic I will get..."
Pef nodded. He wondered the same thing.
Soon they were flying towards the forest, Mia driving the airship of course.
Pef stood at the prow, his senses scanning ahead for a target. A few hours later, he located a
clearing in the forest, where a pack of wolves is feasting on a beast.
'I notice a Spirit ranked beast ahead, Aspirant. It's a Wind Runner Dire Wolf. And 6 more weak ones' the glove whispered in his mind.
'Okay then. It would work. If Mia can beat it'
'She can't. Well, unless you help her'
Pef smiled and grinned. "Honey, I found a Spirit beast!"
"Really? You're the best, Pef!" Mia exclaimed excited.
Pef embraced her and folded the airship, beginning to glide towards the clearing. Tall trees formed a majestic arena, and the wolves had their snouts red with blood.
"Errrr. It's a pack of wolves, husband. I'm scared" Mia Quing admitted with a shiver.
"You'll be fine. Just don't let them hamstring you" Pef whispered and pushed Mia away, letting her fall on top of one Core ranked wolf.
The forest resounded with a crunch, as the spine of the Core beast broke under Mia's knee.
'That's cheating, Aspirant. But the low ranks aren't the problem...' the glove muttered in dismay at the breach in protocol.
Pef drew his bow and began shooting arrows while still floating down.
A hundred arrows later, Pef touched down and grinned again.
The poor wolves had their limbs pierced by arrows, and even the Spirit rank had received a lucky shot, with the arrow lodged in its right paw.
Mia danced between the crippled beasts, slicing necks and spines, and kicking, until only the Dire wolf remained.
A piercing howl infused with qi emerged from the Spirit wolf, and Mia faltered.
'See? That's what beasts can do. Special abilities.' the glove snickered as the wolf pounced on the paralyzed woman, and tore her legs while she couldn't move. Blood spurted and showered the grass in a fountain of red.
Pef sighed, and began firing more arrows. A hundred shots later, he managed to hit the wolf again, in its left leg.
Mia had began recovering from the qi attack, and rose to her knees while in deep pain.
'Come on love. One hit...' Pef whispered in encouragement.
The Dire wolf howled again, but weaker this time, and Mia wobbled, almost losing consciousness.
The beast approached slowly, itself weakened by the qi expenditure and its wounds.
It pounced and Mia's sword strike missed, the wolf biting hard on her sword arm. The sound of crushed bone made Pef grit his teeth.
Then Mia yelled, and began stabbing with her left hand, using her dagger. It took two dozen stabs, but in the end the beast slowly fell to a side, its neck torn apart.
A burst of qi descended for heavens, raising Mia over the peak and into Spirit rank.
'Huh, lucky woman, your wife. It was close for a moment'
'That howl...even I felt the first one' Pef admitted with some worry.
'Because you're a weakling. Crying over some pain. Soldiers do not cry!' The glove spouted some more propaganda drivel.
Pef ignored it as he rushed to dress and bandage Mia's wounds.
Under his eyes, Mia's flesh began healing, a bit slow but effective nonetheless. Unless foreign material remained in the wounds, she would heal perfectly, with no scars.
Well, no scars except the trauma.
That will need some work to overcome. But such was the way of the Legion. One gave his flesh to defeat the enemy. Enduring the pain, swallowing the tears and growing stronger.
Mia woke up later, as the airship was circling to land back at Smithtown Airport.
"Pef, I can feel the wind..." the Spirit ranked woman whispered with visible joy.
"Nice! You can fly around and carry my orders now" Pef said with a straight face.
"Idiot husband. You're banished for three days!"
"Three?"
"Well, two days. You need to consider my feelings, you dumb brute"
"Ah, I'm doomed. Two days without my dashing wife! Who am I gonna share the tasty wolf steaks with?" our hero cried to the heavens.
"Fine! Two hours. Now get me down. I want to wash this blood off me" Mia grumbled while patting her hungry stomach.
Si and Lin watched them descend with wide smiles.
"Sister, you formed your Spirit!" Lin yelled running to hug Mia in friendly joy.
Si hugged Pef and whispered "What did you get me?"
"Dire wolf fur" he whispered in a very low murmur. He got kissed thoroughly by the fashion creator, and even got molested a little.
"Spirit beast eh? How do you find them, I never find more than Core ranks?" Lin grumbled in self wallow.
"Dunno, I'm just lucky I guess. So, we're having wolf steak tonight. But you don't have to, if you don't like meat..." Pef said in a mischievous voice.
"Oh, I like meat quite a lot" Si replied with a wistful face.
Pef waited a few days to see the new fur tunics being created, then announced he needs to leave.
A few days in Lacrimosa to arrange the new government statute, then back to Port Li.
Time was running out for Miss Fang, and he hadn't forgotten. He would try to give the woman at least two more decades. Maybe she could raise a child and live a normal life, if a shorter one.
Lin drew him into a hug and a kiss. "Don't send me even more wives, you horny boy. They will miss you, and suffer even more"
"Yeah, I know, Lady Lin. They just happen, I swear." Pef said with a helpless shrug.
"Heh, I know how it happens, silly boy. You're just too kind, and try to marry every woman you love, so they don't feel abandoned, like your mom. You have a good heart, Pef. But think with your upper head more" The smith whispered as she held him tight.
Pef nodded then jumped away, reaching almost 300 meters high, before landing in his airship.
'Hey dear glove, did I grow in qi levels a little?' Pef asked in confusion, as this jump was much higher.
'You did sort of showered your wives with love, past month' the orange glove snickered.
'Right. I kinda did that...' Pef admitted with a grin.
<< Index >>
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https://forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/40-thousand-reasons-40k.11500/
<< Index >>
Message me for commissions.